Center pin for body and truck bolsters



3% WW 5. B. HASELTINE CENTER PIN FOR BODY AND TRUCK BOLSTERS Filed Feb. 3, 1947 Patented Jan. 31, 1950 CENTER PIN FOR BODY AND TRUCK BOLSTERS Stacy B. Haseltine, La Grange, I11., assignor to W. H. Miner, 1110., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application February 3, 1947, Serial No. 726,017

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in center pins for body and truck bolsters.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved car construction comprising a locking center pin of simple design for connecting the body and truck bolsters of a railway car and holding the bolsters against vertical separation in service.

A further object of the invention is to provide a locking center pin of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph having heads at opposite ends in shouldered engagement with the bolsters and composed of upper and lower interlocking members which are insertable within the center pin receiving openings, respectively, from above the body and below the truck bolsters and held in interlocked condition by a locking element extending through the members of the pin.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a locking center pin for connecting the body and truck bolsters of a car, comprising an upper section having a head at its upper end in shouldered engagement with the body bolster, a lower section having a head at its lower end in shouldered engagement with the truck bolster, and shank members extending from said heads engaged in the center pin openings of the bolster and having hooked engagement with each other to connect said upper and lower sections of the pin, wherein the upper and lower sections are tiltable toward and away from each other in applying and removing the pin to bring the shank members thereof into and out of hooked engagement with each other, and are held in interlocked condition against relative tilting by a keylike locking element extending axially through said upper and lower sections.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, taken lengthwise of the car, through the mid portions of the body and truck bolsters of the underframe structure, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith, the center pin being shown in elevation. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of Figure 1, partly broken away, showing the center pin with the locking bolt omitted. Figure 4 is a top plan view of the center pin shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the lower member of the pin shown in Figure 1, looking from left to right in said.

figure. Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the locking key element of the improved center pin, looking from left to right in Figure 1, the upper end of said element being broken away.

In said drawing, 10 indicates the body bolster of a car, and II, the truck bolster. The bolsters are of the usual welhknown design, the body bolster being provided with a center section 12 to accommodate the center pin, and the truck bolster being provided with an upstanding, hollow boss or flange l3, projecting into the section 12 of the body bolster. The section 12 is of substantially tubular form, having an inwardly projecting rib or flange I l between the top and bot-- tom ends thereof. The flange I4 defines an opening 15 adapted to accommodate the center pin. Above the flange I 4, the section l2 forms a pocket 16 adapted to accommodate the head at the upper end of the pin. The annular hollow boss or upstanding flange 13 of the truck bolster H extends into the bottom portion of the opening of the section 12 of the body bolster, as most clearly shown in Figure 1. The hollow boss provides a circular opening i"! to accommodate the center pin. The opening ll of the truck bolster and the opening 15 of the body bolster are in axial alignment. Below the opening 11, the truck bolster is provided with a downwardly opening pocket 18 adapted to accommodate the head at the bottom end of the center pin. As shown in Figure l, the pocket 58 is of greater size than the opening 1? of the boss I 3, thereby providing a downwardly facing shoulder 19, adjacent said opening, which cooperates with the head at the bottom end of the center pin to restrict upward movement of the latter. The usual bearing plate or shim Zil is interposed between the body and truck bolsters around the upwardly projecting boss 13 or the truck bolster.

My improved locking center pin, as shown in the drawings, comprises broadly, identical upper and lower sections or members A-A and a locking key element B.

The upper and lower members A-A of the pin are of identical design, each member A comprising a shank 2| having a concentric head 22 at one end and a hook 23 at its other end. The two members A-A are reversely arranged end for end, the head 22 of the upper member being at the upper end thereof and having the shank 21 depending therefrom, and the head 22 of the lower member being at the lower end thereof and having the shank 2i upstanding therefrom. In the applied condition of the center pin, the hooks 23--23 ofthe upper and lcwermembers are'in interlocked engagement, with the head 22 of the upper member shouldered on the rib M of the body bolster Ill, and the head 22 of the lower member engaged beneath the shoulder is of the truck bolster l I. The shanks 2 l-2l of the members A-A are tapered toward the outer ends, as clearly shown in Figure 1, thereby providing sufficient clearance between the shanks and the interior walls of the center pin receiving openings to allow tilting of said members away from each other to permit complete disengagement of the hooks 23-23 thereof and separation of said members. On the inner side, inwardly and outwardly of the hook 23, the shank 2! of each member A is cut away on an inclination, as indicated at 2 and 25, the inclined face 24 of each shank being engaged with and seated flatly on the inclined face 25 of the other member A. The members A-A are further provided with longitudinal bores 26-26, which are slightly olfset from the axis of the pin, the bore of each member A being oifset toward the long side of the shank of said member. These bores are adapted to accommodate the locking key element B, as hereinafter pointed out, opposite sides of the element B bearing on the walls of the bores, respectively, at the sides of these members from which the hooks extend, thus holding the hooks in tight engagement. The head 22 of each member A has a pair of outstanding lugs 26-27 at opposite sides of the opening of the bore 25 thereof, these lugs being preferably of arc-shaped form, as shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 4, and spaced a short distance from said opening. The lugs 27-2! of each member are transversely perforated, as indicated at 28-28, to accommodate a retaining bolt 29.

The locking element B is in the form of an elongated pin of circular cross section, having a concentric head 32 at one end provided with an outstanding central lug 3|, which is transversely perforated to receive the retaining bolt 29. The shank of the key element B fits the bores 26-26 of the two members of the pin to lock the same in hooked engagement with each other by holding the members against relative tilting.

As shown in Figure 1, the locking element B has been applied from beneath the truck bolster, the head of the same being shouldered against the underneath side of the head 22 of the lower member A of the pin and the bolt 29 being engaged through the perforated lug 3| of the locking element and the perforations 28-28 of the lugs 22-2? of the lower member A to support the locking element against removal. As will be evident, the arrangement shown also permits of application of the locking element B from above the body bolster, with the shank extending through the bores 26-26 of the upper and lower members A-A and the head 30 of said locking element resting on the head 22 of the upper member A. When thus applied to the members A-A from above, the retaining bolt 29 for the element B may be dispensed with.

In applying my improved locking center pin to the bolsters of the car, the upper and lower members A-A are inserted in the pin receiving openings, respectively, from above and below the body and truck bolsters. In being pushed into the center pin receiving openings, the hooked ends of the shanks 2l-2i of these members are spread apart by camming engagement between the inclined faces 25-25 at the outer ends of the hooks 23-23 thereof, thereby tilting the members away from each other so that the hooks 23-23 will pass by each other. When the hooks 23-23 have been brought into transverse alignment with each other, the members A-A are tilted toward each other to interlock the hooks, and the locking element B is inserted to lock the members A-A against relative tilting movement with respect to each other. After this has been done, the locking element B is locked against removal by the retaining bolt 29. To remove the improved pin from the bolsters, the locking element B is first withdrawn from the members A-A after removal of the retaining bolt 29. The hooks 23-23 of said members are then disengaged from each other by movin the same apart through tilting or tipping of said members away from each other. The separated upper and lower members A-A may then be readily withdrawn from the pin receiving openings of the bolsters.

I claim: i

1. A center pin for railway car body and truck bolsters having aligned center pin receiving openings, said pin comprising an upper member having a head at its upper end, a lower member having a head at its lower end, a shank depending from said upper member and extending into said openings, a shank upstanding from said lower member and extending into said openings, interengaging hook elements on said shanks, said hook elements being engageable with each other by lateral displacement of said members toward each other and being separable by lateral displacement of said members away from each other, and a locking element extending axially through said upper and lower members for holding said members against relative lateral displacement with said hook elements thereof in interlocked relation.

2. A center pin for railway car body and truck bolsters having aligned center pin receiving openings, said pin extending through said openings, said pin including an upper member having a head at its upper end, a lower member having a head at its lower end, said members having shank portions engaged in said openings and extending toward each other, interengaging hook elements on said shank portions, and a locking element extending axially through said upper and lower members to prevent relative tilting of said upper and lower members and to maintain the hook elements thereof interlocked.

3. A center pin for railway car body and truck bolsters having aligned center pin receiving openings, said pin including upper and lower members having shank portions provided with heads at their outer ends, said shank portions having interengaging hook members at their inner ends, each of said upper and lower members having an axial bore therethrough, and a locking key extending through said bores of said upper and lower members for locking the same against lateral separation.

4. A center pin for railway car body and truck bolsters having aligned center pin receiving openings, said pin comprising top and bottom members in hooked engagement with each other, each of said members having a head at its outer end, said top and bottom members loosely fitting said openings to allow tilting thereof with respect to each other to permit disconnecting the same from each other.

5. A center pin for railway car body and truck bolsters having aligned center pin receiving openings, said pin comprising an upper member havin a head. at itsupperend, and a lower member having a head at its lower end, said members having interlocking hook portions thereon, said upper and lower members loosely fitting said openings to permit lateral separation of the hook portions thereof.

6. A center pin for railway car body and truck bolsters having aligned center pin receiving openings, said pin comprising an upper member having a head at its upper end, a lower member having a head at its lower end, said members having interlocking hook portions, and means for locking said hook portions in interlocked relation, said upper and lower members loosely fitting said openings to permit lateral separation thereof when said. locking means is absent to efiect disengagement of the hook portions from each other.

7. A center pin for railway car body and truck bolsters having aligned center pin receiving openings, said pin comprising an upper member having a head at its upper end, a lower member having a head at its lower end, a shank depending from said upper member and extending into said openings, a shank upstanding from said lower member and extending into said openings, interengaging hook members on said shanks, and a locking element extending axiall through said upper and lower members for holding said hook members in interlocked relation, said shanks of said upper and lower members loosely fitting said openings to permit lateral tilting of said upper and lower members away from each other and separation of said hook portions when said locking element is absent.

8, A center pin for railway car body and truck bolsters having aligned center pin receiving openings', said pin comprising upper and lower members: having heads at their outer ends, said members} havin shanks engaged in said openings, said shanks extending toward each other, said shanks having hooks at the outer ends interbng'aged with each other, said shanks being tiltable toward and away from each other to eiIect engagement of the hooks with each other and]: disengagement of the same from each other, said shanks having interengaging cam means thereon for effecting tilting of the same away from each other as the upper and lower members are moved inwardly toward each other to guide said hooks past each other.

STACY B. HASELTINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the me of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 953,298 Schmidt Mar. 29, 1910 1,755,582 Haseltine Apr. 22, 1930 1,778,957 Olander Oct. 21, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,924 England 1909 

